Bear Hands “You’ll Pay for This” album review

Indie, electro rock band Bear Hands released their third full-length album You’ll Pay for This Friday, their first release since Distraction in 2014. “Giants”, from Distraction, induced them their initial breakthrough single, placing them at number eight on the Billboards Alternative Song Charts. Since last week, their single, “2AM”, from You’ll Pay for This has also been appearing in the Billboard Alternative Charts (peaking at number 18 as of this post) and continues to ‘gain in performance’ according to the Billboard Charts.

Formed in 2006, the Brooklyn based band consists of Dylan Rau (vocals and guitar), Val Loper (bass), Ted Feldman (guitar), and TJ Orscher (drums). Loper and Orscher were acquired from a local Connecticut hardcore punk band while Rau and Feldman met attending Wesleyan University.

With every one of their albums conveying a cultivated sense of elevation through out the years, You’ll Pay for This tends to portray a full-bodied robust blend of their post-punk, rock, alternative and electronic elements. The album cover features a girl rolling down a sand hill that portrays a sense of liberation and apprehension.

Each track seems to present an unexpected element of tunes and a sense of straight forwardness in lyrics, which unfailingly provides a contemporary feel to it. The album introduces itself with the track “I Won’t Pay” – a pop-electronic driven song that jolts listeners with heavy guitar leads and riffs towards the end.

“2AM” is a song that has been receiving the most attention, with an official music video release and a song that a majority of those who have passed their mid twenties. Those who are transitioning from their ‘partying’ years can relate to it as well, as it sings “Can I forget how old I am? Nothing good happens past 2 a.m.” in the chorus and “going out’s a drag now”.

A few of our favorites from this album include “2AM”, “Deja Vu”, “Too Young”, “Marathon Man” and “Purpose Filled Life”. Even though most of the songs in this album have this sort of effortless, nimbus feel to it, “Too Young” and “Marathon Man” fervidly dominates in this sense.

This album undoubtedly expresses the band’s affinity of collectively maturing and aging in life, but not in the unfavorable light that most tend to place the ‘aging’ factor in society – Bear Hands prominently expresses the extent of how much they have evolved as a band, and through their music, they advise people to embrace maturity in life as it pleasantly blossoms.